Ablaze
by MagicConan14
Summary: During a trip to Kyoto, Heiji gets shrunk...but not by the Black Organisation! How did he shrink, and why?
1. Set on Fire

This is another of the offshoots from The Magic League-Heiji's story as Hakino. I decided to alter it a lot, though, so you're all in for a huge surprise!

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters. I do own the name Hakino Kari though.

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~Accident~

The eternal flame that burnt in the ancient temple of the elements was called Koujin. No prizes for guessing how it got that name – it was named after the Japanese god of fire. But if anyone got too close to the eternal flame, there was no guessing what might happen…

Heiji, Kazuha, Ran and Conan were in Kyoto, doing some sightseeing again. [See movie 7 for their first time.] The boys passed a very small shrine (that looked like a park) and didn't pay it any attention until…

"Heiji! Conan-kun! Come see this shrine!" Kazuha yelled to them.

They wandered around in the sanctuary, following the path, until near the end, where they spotted a pavilion with 4 pedestals – red, yellow, green and blue. Heiji was closest to the red pedestal, and since he had been ambling, he ran up to the others, tripping over Kazuha's foot in the process. This sent him over the rope and directly on to the eternal flame!

* * *

Heiji got shifted to the caretaker's house somewhere in the sanctuary. (Heiji couldn't remember where it was situated exactly, he hadn't looked for landmarks.)

Once he finally bothered to gaze at his injuries, he couldn't believe how much damage he'd taken from that accident. The burn marks, which covered the dark-skinned detective's right shoulder and part of his upper arm, seriously hurt (of course). But there was something eerily strange about them. Heiji couldn't tell what was going on with the tingling sensation his burn was giving. All he could do was scream at Kazuha…he did lots of that.

"Ahou! My parents 're gonna freak out if they 'ear what 'appened!"

"You were the one who tripped!"

"You were in da way!"

Eventually, Ran had to pull Kazuha off Heiji because it seemed like he was getting worse. Then his burn began to glow intensely…

* * *

~Disappearance~

Kazuha couldn't find Heiji. All she could find was an Osakan kid that had the appearance of a younger Heiji. The kid also happened to have a huge burn on the right shoulder, and injuries that looked distinctly like healed kendo injuries – but she ignored all of that.

Conan couldn't help suppressing laughter, but Kazuha death glared the bespectacled detective before asking, "Who are you, little boy?"

Heiji furtively glanced around. Kudo shook his head as the now-shrunken Osakan's gaze fell on him.

Spotting the autumn leaves drifting behind Kazuha, he finally replied, "I'm Hakino Kari." The 'kari' meant cutting (an obvious reference to kendo), the 'ha' and 'ki' came from the Japanese words for leaf and tree respectively.

"That's an odd name," the aikido master remarked.

* * *

As they went back to their hotel, Kazuha announced that she would take care of Hakino until further notice, and that Conan and Hakino would be able to stay in the same room.

"That was a lame name you gave yourself."

"It was on da spot…just like yers, _Conan Edogawa_."

"Well, who would give themselves the surname Kari? It sounds like a girl's name."

"Shaddup!"

After more chatting, they realised there was no explanation as to why Heiji's burn glowed in the first place...or why it was glowing now. The shrunk Osakan's hand was now ablaze…

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	2. New Life and Old Memories

~Memories~

After hurriedly closing his hand and putting the fire out, Heiji realised, in the middle of the night, that in the past he'd seen the flame he'd been scorched with.

\Flashback/

In Osaka, there had been an exhibition of sacred artefacts…the four elemental artefacts were the stars of the show. The fire was Koujin, the water (collected in one of those ancient dipper objects) was Suijin, the rock was Jigami and the air (gathered in a container) was Izanagi. The police were protecting the artefacts from any potential thieves…Kaito Kid in particular. Nine-year-old Heiji didn't really get why so many police were worked up about some old objects.

"Our reputations are at stake here," a police officer told him. "The world will laugh at us if we can't protect the four elemental treasures."

As the officer spoke to him, Heiji noticed that there was a shadow zooming around behind him. When he ran over to where the water, earth and air artefacts were placed, he discovered they were gone!

\End flashback/

The artefacts had been returned, one by one, after the heist. _Why wasn't the fire taken?_ Heiji found himself pondering.

The next few days were filled with the aikido master interrogating poor little Hakino. Heiji didn't enjoy it too much. He had to bite his tongue many times to avoid screaming out 'Ahou!' or any other profane words a 7-year-old shouldn't know.

* * *

~Life as Hakino Kari~

They got back from Kyoto only to find out there were no available places at any of the schools nearby – the closest school with places was Teitan Elementary, so Kazuha had to give Hakino to Aoko (who she knew via an acquaintance from a long time ago).

"Class, this is…" 1-A's teacher started.

"I'm Hakino Kari," he interjected.

The teacher glared at him before doing a snooty turn of the nose and writing his now established name on the board - 刈 葉木野.

As Aoko and Hakino walked home with Kaito, the teen announced that he wanted to talk to the kid alone.

"I think I've seen you before," he commented after buying two ice-creams (even though it was autumn) and passing one to the kid.

"I don't remember you though, nii-chan," Hakino told the teenager, thinking of all the times Kudo had betrayed him with an instance like this.

Kaito contemplated Hakino some more, scoffing the last piece of his cone, then whispered to him, "You're Heiji Hattori, am I right?"

Hattori could only freeze in fear. He'd been caught out!

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I'm opening this section up as a Q and A (same with White Knight). Put your questions in a review and I'll answer them!

Please read and review!

16/8- Devil's Secret: I will...


	3. Land Down Under

I just love bombshells, don't you? (You'll see what I mean when you read this chapter.)

Underlines are for emphasis.

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"Kaito-nii-chan, I'm not Heiji-nii-chan, am I? That's kind of obvious. Besides, we're distantly related." (This last bit was recently established.)

"I'm saying you got shrunk by something, tantei-han," the teen thief told Hakino, then snatched him up and started running across the rooftops towards his house.

* * *

Conan was coming back to the Detective Agency when he spotted Kid with Hakino under his arm. After giving chase, the shrunken detective met his thief on the roof of the Tokyo Museum at midnight. Hakino was stashed under Kid's arm, unconscious. The silver magician strangely had the beginning of a black eye under his monocle.

"I need you to go to Australia to retrieve Earth's Glare for me," the thief told Conan as he put Hakino down and tossed the bespectacled detective a legitimate passport.

The Earth's Glare was a predominantly blue opal that had been given to the Kudo family recently. (Yuusaku had travelled to Australia to get hold of it.)

_How did Kid know about that?_ Conan wondered. "Couldn't you go yourself?" he spat at the white-clad thief.

"I'll be there; I just want you to come with me."

Just then, Hakino snapped out of his daze. He glanced at the thief, then yelled out, "Kudo, this guy's Kai-'

"Kaito Kuroba, aka Kaito Kid. I knew already."

Kaito Kid, behind his poker face, was quite astonished that tantei-kun had figured it out.

* * *

~Earth's Glare~

The two groups – Aoko, Kaito and Ginzo in one, Conan, Ran and Kogoro in the other –left for Australia on the same day. Hakino was nowhere to be seen…

When they landed at Melbourne Airport, Heiji came running up to Conan, much to the latter's surprise. "How did you change back, Hattori?!"

"I realised dat strong emotions actually activated da glowin' thin' with my scar…after I was knocked out by dat thief, I was actually scared (could ya believe it) because he was pointin' 'is gun at me – probably tryin' somethin' out, but I didn't know dat. I was so scared dat I returned ta my normal size and knocked 'im out." _That's where his black eye came from,_ Conan reasoned. _That's how Hattori knew Kaito was Kid._ "I might stick around with ya anyway, it's not like there's anyone else ta stick with other than my 'guardian'."

"Heiji-san? Do you know where Hakino-kun is?" Aoko interjected.

"I sent 'im back temporarily. The kid does have a life, ya know." He was sizing up Kaito as he stated this, then commented to the spiky haired boy, "I think I've met ya before…during dat stolen crystal heist." [See OVA 6.]

Later, Heiji grabbed Conan by the wrist and dragged him into the bathroom.

"There's been weird things goin' on since I got this scar." He jabbed a tanned finger at his right shoulder.

"Lately I've been havin'dreams 'bout some girl called Mizukai who's told me I'm the next Koujin…the god, not the fire at dat shrine." Conan stared at him with a questioning look. "Heck, I'll show you!" the Osakan yelled in exasperation. Muttering something under his breath, a glow emanated from his scar and a cloud enveloped him. When it cleared, there was some Chinese guy standing in front of Conan.

"Dis looks really stupid, I know." He had a faint trace of an Osakan accent, but not as pronounced as Hattori's. "But I'm still Hattori Heiji on the inside. It's just dis,"-he cursed under his breath – "form is just proof that Koujin's awakened…"

The cloud came back and Hakino reappeared. "Although I can't keep my real form for too long, I have no idea why. I still gotta ask the dupe why I shrunk." _Who's the dupe?_ Conan wondered.

* * *

~The Reason Why~

Later, in Hakino's mind…

"Hey, Osakan guy…wake up! WAKE UP!" The ever insistent Mizukai was at it again, slapping him just like last time.

"Cut it out, will ya?"

"I can't help it, Koujin's always really angry if you're not punctual…"

Koujin's slightly angry poker face was definitely showing, and Heiji got a bit freaked out by it. (In the dream world, he was still Heiji.)

The fire god cleared his throat in an official manner, then began, "The reason you were shrunk is because there are enemies that want to take over the world…and they're going to start with Osaka."

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A dupe, in this case, is kind of like how Heiji says 'ahou' all the time.

Please review (and ask your questions if you have any for the Q and A corner!)!

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9/9 -I forgot to include the first time Heiji talked to Mizukai and Koujin! So this section is meant to be somewhere between the chapter called 'Memories' and the chapter called 'Life as Hakino Kari':

In Hakino's dreams...

"Wake up!" a voice called, faint as a whisper. It got louder as it repeated itself, and after the fifth time, the ground shook. Heiji just started gaining consciousness when a girl in a cyan kimono slapped him. "Stop sleeping on the job!"

This time she waited for a response. Heiji muttered something about not being able to sleep in under his breath as she launched into more talking.

"I'm Mizukai, the daughter of Suijin. My dad has been really ill as of late due to pollution, so I was given his place as water god just yesterday. Obviously, that means I'm now the water goddess. You got scorched by that flame, yeah?"

Heiji sighed, nodding his head. _That's what got me into this 'Hakino' mess in the first place.._.Heiji observed his hands as he thought this. Wait a second. He was Heiji again!

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but this is only a dream." Mizukai just ruined the moment...

A Chinese man in red and gold robes appeared, pushing Mizukai aside and covering her mouth as he stepped towards the Osakan detective. "I'll finish the explanation," he told her.

"You were burnt by the eternal flame, so now destiny has marked you to be the next Koujin."

"What?!" Heiji shrieked.


	4. Arrival From the Future

I once wrote up a short version of _Ablaze_ with Heiji in the current situation and Hakuba being 'connected' with the earth god Jigami. (No shrinking was done in that story.) It's not what I'm gonna do with the real version, though...I don't want the plot to be like _Cursed_.

* * *

"W-What 'bout the people I care about?" Heiji spluttered.

"If you're referring to that Tokyo boy, then he might be fine." That didn't mean he was certainly going to survive the apocalypse..."If it's anyone else, then you'll have to find a way to protect them yourself."

"Ye're bein' selfish, Koujin!" Heiji growled at the fire god. "Why does only Kudo 'ave a chance of livin'?"

"That's just the way the end of the world goes." Stupid, unfeeling Koujin...

/

Toichi had once taken the elemental artefacts for analysis, Kaito remembered. The rock especially might have been valuable because it might have held Pandora! Yet, it didn't. Kaito's heart sank as he recalled the sheer disappointment with not seeing a gem in Jigami (the artefact) at all.

However, while he'd searched the trio of artefacts again at the Kyoto shrine a few weeks ago, he'd released Izanagi (the artefact) and breathed in a little...Strange dreams of tantei-han and a red-and-gold-robed man had been tormenting him ever since.

~Spirited Away.../Arrival From the Future~[This chapter (and Reversal (I'll Fix You) both have two titles because I like them both. You can use either to refer to them.]

This was not good. A gang of devils (all identical and stereotypical-looking) had appeared and grabbed Kudo!

"Oh no, ya don't!" Hakino yelled at them, shooting a ray of fire at them. They just ducked and continued to lift their hostage up and away like people lifting a crowd surfer at a concert.

Conan had grabbed one of the devils' clawed hands to steady himself so that he could get off, but something strange was happening...A pale yellow glow was coming from his hands! The devils that were being affected by this were slowing down and eventually frozen in midair. (You can kind of guess what happened after that.)

"That's what I was trying to tell you about," Koujin admitted in Hakino's head. "He's a queer case – not a god, yet still has a gift. I cannot remember its name though."

As the last devil plummeted to the ground, Hakino couldn't figure out how he was going to save Kudo. The bespectacled detective prodigy began his descent – but only for a little bit. Kaito Kid had appeared out of nowhere and rescued him just like he did that other time! [I'm referring to Movie 14.]

The dark-skinned boy puffed out a sigh of relief...then wondered exactly how Kid saved him. The gentleman thief was standing in front of him while Kudo was being drifted down by a cloud in the shape of Kaito Kid, that's why.

"W-wait, you're Izanagi!" Hakino spluttered, forgetting to control himself.

The white-costumed thief shook his head, a tiny smirk on his face. "I'm not Izanagi, I'm Kaito Kid. But yes, I'm – what would you call it – connected to him." That was probably a better term for what was going on. "Tantei-kun, be more careful next time…or maybe be prepared to use your aether," he told Conan.

"That's what it was called! Aether!" Koujin recalled at exactly the same time the thief said it. Hakino just sweatdropped. _Really, Koujin? You had to forget something like that?_ he asked the fire god.

/

Hakino was almost asleep at his desk until he realised that there was a spiky-haired doppelganger to Kudo in his class. (Not full-size Kudo, the shrunk version.) This one didn't wear glasses, though.

After class, he caught up to this boy, wondering who on earth – or even one of Koujin's four dimensions – this guy was. It turned out his name was Fuyuki. [Remember where this name comes from? If you don't, then it comes from The Magic League.]

Relaying his thoughts about how the spiky-haired child looked too much like Conan-kun (he had to stop himself from calling Conan Kudo again…); Fuyuki replied with, "I'm from the magica dimension. My counterpart for this dimension is a teenager called Kaito." Hakino's jaw hit the ground…and strangely enough, Fuyuki had the courtesy to push it back to where it should have been.

"How does dat work?!" Hakino snapped at Fuyuki.

The small Kaito – Fuyuki - just cracked up with laughter. "You're still believing that only one version of someone exists at one time, yes?" Shrunken Heiji nodded, a defeated look on his face. "That's wrong. There's one of everyone for each dimension."

'I should have explained that to you earlier then,' Koujin chastised Heiji.

"Why are you here then?" he (Hakino) interrogated the Conan-minus-glasses-lookalike.

The reply was a simple finger put to lips. "You're a detective. Figure it out."

Fuyuki walked off, leaving one perplexed Hakino. "I can't figure out anything without clues," he grumbled to himself.

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25/12/12 - Koujin is the god of the kitchen and cooking stove as well as fire. Just a note.

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